I don't think that it's wrong to relax and unwind by having a bit of fun. I personally wouldn't get too worked up over a few hours of gaming. But, if it becomes a detriment to your relationship with God, your studies, and your job-searching, then I think it would need to be addressed. Obviously games that have extreme violence and swearing, or nudity should be avoided. But if you sense that God wanting you to give up gaming then simply sell all your games on eBay or something.
strelok0017 said:
I want my life to count for Jesus but I just can't see that happening.
God may not use you like Billy Graham to reach millions, but God can make your life count by using you to reach
your world. An example may be - when you get a job - working for your boss with as much energy as though you were working for Jesus, just being there for someone who is struggling, or supporting front-line missions work (like Bible League). It could be something as simple as holding the door open for someone coming out of a shop. I honestly think that we'll be pleasantly surprised by the number of lives that were touched in some way by the way we lived. This seems to be exemplified in Ephesians 2:10 where Paul notes that "for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
I guess what I'm saying is that I wouldn't underestimate or undervalue the seemingly insignificant opportunities that come your way. You never know, something that you may say or the way you behave may be placing the seed for which someone else may later come and harvest. Also, there are often "holding" periods where it seems like nothing is happening, but these often are the times in which growth and endurance can happen. God knows what he's doing, even if it remains unclear to us.
strelok0017 said:
Sorry if this is the wrong place to post but I really have noone to talk to about this. And thanks to my weak faith and continual hypocrisy I fear that God might withdraw from me... forever
(like from that Esau guy).
Even Paul struggled with what one may term "hypocrisy," which is simply giving into the flesh. Becoming saved doesn't make us perfect - the Holy Spirit changes our heart so that we have a desire to live a godly life and remain in relationship with God. A genuine Christian cannot happily sin and cannot sin without conviction. The tone of your writing indiciates that you are not happy about sinning and that you want to live that godly life: this is evidence that the Holy Spirit is working within you. Change, with no sinning, doesn't happen straight away for anyone, but it will happen as the Holy Spirit continues his work. Paul writes about his struggles with this issue in Romans 7:15.
Two verses that will help give you reassurance that God won't withdraw from you:
Philippians 1:6 says "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:13 says "I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven."
For the amazing cost that it took for God to bring you into his family (i.e. the blood of Jesus) there is no way that he would "give up" on you. Jesus understands our struggles and this should give us confidence in approaching God in prayer for help in overcoming that which has us bound (Hebrews 4:15). God loves you and has made you a child of his who will share in the inheritence of Christ - that is who you are, even if at times we don't act like it.
strelok0017 said:
Oh and the second year of college is going to be hard. And since I'm a part time student I gotta find a job but... that's gonna be near impossible. See, I'm really useless. And I'm struggling with things like if I should totally get rid of games or should I leave 2-3 for free time. :s
God bless everyone!
You're not useless if you passed your first year subjects with decent marks. Most university students who have part time jobs are jobs that anyone can do, such as delivery driving, retail or customer service, and bar work. It isn't hard working in a department store to welcome the customer, assist any enquiries, and wish them a good day as they leave. Have you tried applying for apprenticeships or traineeships in whatever area you are studying at university?
As for the whole Esau thing, what I take from it is that God is sovereign who can choose whom he wants to bless (i.e. in this case Jacob and his descendants) or for whom he wishes to withold blessings from. But, do you really think that God would withhold blessings from one of his children who is living according to his will? No. The hate referred to is not positive hatred in the sense that one may hate slow drivers. It is a negative hatred, more like withholding or passing by, not giving notice to, etc.. This is obviously based on their sin, but when God looks at us he sees Christ's righteousness imputed into our accounts.
strelok0017 said:
I might have another 50 years to live and just thinking about all struggles that I might go through gets me down.
You would have struggles either way. The difference between us and unbelievers is that we know that God goes before us (ensuring that we will never face more than we can bear) and will help us through. Just go one day at a time as worrying about the future is both pointless and futile.
